Conquer Fear
by FoundNLost
Summary: Jack Frost & Pitch Black (Black Ice) . Fear can be fun right? Jack starts trying to win over Pitch in a strange attempt to conquer fear. Rated M just in case, in two or three chapters I'll let you know how dark this is going to get.
1. Chapter 1

Jack Frost, master of the hoarfrost and guardian of fun, had been alone a very long time. Despite finding new friends, becoming believed in, and defeating the boogieman; he would never forget what it was like to be alone. North, Tooth, Sandy, and even Bunny all took time to be together; to have fun with Jack, and Jack now had kids who knew when they were playing with him. This was more 'happily ever after' than he could of possibly dreamed of… and yet there was still that lingering doubt. _Is this all?_

Kids had many forms of entertainment, and Jack investigated each new idea with glee. Movies were especially good at instigating fun in even the most introverted child, and he had probably watched them all. Peter Pan was a favorite of his. A boy who never wanted to grow up, who only wanted to have fun, a boy who was just like Jack. When he first watched it he was astonished at the similarities, but shattered by the differences. Peter Pan had the lost boys - his friends, and children were more than willing to believe in him. Now Jack had those things too, but found out that he still wasn't quite like the children's tale. He had grown up.

Jack looked the same as always of course. Young, reckless, naive, and carefree, but learning to interact with people had given him a sense of responsibility. That was why he began a guardian, to take care of those who he shared his fun with. While the others may have noticed a new maturity in Jack, the change hadn't affected his crazy antics, they didn't worry about him. This feeling had given him the strength he had needed to protect the children and the guardians thought it might convince Jack to be more careful with his games. What no one realized was that fun loving didn't have to mean childish.

Three hundred years of loneliness and Jack still cared about people. Despite his invisibleness he interacted and understood people more than all the other guardians combined. He watched and learned and listened. Pitch Black had come first, and then the guardians. Though they had pushed him away, fear had remained and he bided his time to create an army of nightmares. This time they had let the Nightmare King be trapped alone with his creations. Pitch Black trapped in an endless nightmare of fear never to return. Most would say the ironic end suited him, but Jack knew better.

Jack understood fear. He had lived with it for a long time and even though fun could chase it away, it was a feeling that was never truly driven out. Some fun could be had in fear, scaring others, braving horrors, but fear had a more important focus. Fear kept you safe. It did not protect you, but made you protect yourself and others. Fear told you what was dangerous, what would hurt. Fear could be horrible, but even at its worst it told you what was wrong, what evil was. So how was the world going to get on without Pitch? Would children play with fire, hurt each other, or hurt themselves? Obviously fear remained if Jack could worry over these things, but maybe fear had a place in the world. Maybe Pitch and the Guardians counterbalanced each other. Or perhaps Jack just felt guilty.

After all, Pitch was a person and was alone. He didn't have fun to comfort him, he just had his fear. So either he stayed alone and miserable, or he'd come back worse than before. In the frozen wasteland Pitch said he understood loneliness and the fear to stay that way. Maybe there was more truth than manipulation in his words. All these thoughts and more he used to convince himself to fly to the boogieman's layer, but truly it was the idea that fear could be fun that let Jack walk into that dark place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I'm working on my other stories... But they take a little more work for cohesion than this bit of fluff. Meddling S in particular. I had to go back and fix the time inconsistencies, but the next chapter is just about done and when it is I'll update everything at once. **

** I've only found one author on the web that does a really good black ice fanfic, and it was based more on the books than on the movie. Having not read the books yet this is based off of the movie and the characters do not belong to me. **

**Warning: This is a simple bit of fluff right now... but it may develop and go in dark places. Just FYI**

He lowered himself gently, not making a sound on an evening breeze as he hesitantly entered the domain of the masters of Nightmares. Part of him felt silly being so cautious. After all, he was probably more powerful than pitch was and now that he knew who he was what could Pitch make him fear? But another part of him felt his heart skip a beat as he walked into the darkness. This felt like a game who's rules he didn't know. It could be fun… but it could also be dangerous.

The air around him was very different from the cool night above ground. Instead the darkness felt hot, heavy, and humid like the breath of some great slumbering beast. For a moment Jack allowed himself to imagine that he had in fact flown down into the mouth of such a monster before dismissing the idea. Instead he contemplated sticking one of his cold fingers to the back of Pitches neck and seeing if he jumped. The image made him laugh, but the sound was absorbed by the cave instead of echoed down it. Despite the warmth surrounding him, Jack felt goose bumps creep up his arms. _This place is giving me the creeps._

A soft rustling sounded behind him and Jack turned gracefully, bringing up his staff in one swift movement…Only to face nothing. Nothing but darkness. Walking slowly backwards, he strained his eyes trying to see if any of the shadows were moving or if he was just imagining things. The rasping sound of breathing that he had assumed was the wind in the caves, echoed louder around him and Jack's heart began to race. Turning around in circles Jack realized that he had lost the pinpoint of light he had been following deeper into Pitch's layer. And the sound of breathing was growing louder, closer, though no easier to figure out which direction it was coming from.

_What in the world has he got down here with him? _Jack gripped his staff tighter and kept turning in circles, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from over the pounding of his heart. Suddenly there was a light touch to the back of his neck, and Jack yelped before turning to face the threat.

The sight of the boogie man grinning widely at him shouldn't have been reassuring, but it was. _For a moment I thought he had created something worse than the nightmares._ As his heart rate began to slow, Pitch's smile grew. "What's the matter Jack? Scared of the dark?" Jack rolled his eyes. "As if. Just let my imagination run away with me." A single eyebrow lifted and he realized that there was enough light to see by, if barely. "Oh? And it took you all the way to my humble abode?"

Now that he was here, Jack didn't quite know what to say. _I just stopped by to see how you were doing, how's being trapped with your own fears treating you? _Or better yet, _I feel bad for beating you but don't think that means I'll take it easy on you if you do it again? _

Jack waved a hand down the passage way he had come down. "If you didn't want visitors, you shouldn't have left the door open." He gave a cocky smile, remembering his many failed attempts to sneak into the North Pole. "and put up some kind of security system." Pitch shook his head in disbelief as Jack leaned easily against the stone wall. "I can't leave, so you come to rub in my face that you can come and go as you please?" He made a tisking sound. "Not very hero like, Jackie."

A sudden spurt of anger flashed through him. "Don't call me that." His sister had called him that. And while he was glad he had his memories back, he still felt rather ashamed of the trouble he had caused getting them. The boogie man shrugged easily.

"Tell me why you're really here Jack. You came, teasing me with simple silly fears, so you can't be here to gloat…" He turned his head sideways and inspected the frost covered boy. Jack shifted, uncomfortably aware at how tall Pitch was, and how his yellow eyes seemed to glow. He began to feel even more nervous. _Why am I here? This is a stupid idea..._

Suddenly Pitch leaned forward. In a stage whisper he said, "Do you feel guilty for beating me Jack? Do you want me to _forgive _you?" His voice, for the first time since his arrival, actually sounded angry, even threating. But Jack didn't do serious, didn't like _talking_ things out…Probably because for the longest time he didn't _have _to share his feelings.

Jack laughed, shaking off the feelings of fear that had tried to worm their way into his heart. Perhaps he was merely suppressing them… but he had had plenty of practice at that. "It just occurred to me that fear could be fun. I wanted to see if it applied to the boogie man too."

Pitch took a step back and blinked, looking slightly confused. _Huh…Can he cause fear? Or at least increase the feeling? Maybe it's a good thing I only care about having fun… Speaking of which…_

"Let's play hide and seek." Jack suggested, trying for casual. Pitch looked at him, incredulous. "Do I look like the type to play _games, _Jack?" Jack stood and stretched. "Doesn't look like you've got much else to do right now." He walked towards one of the exits that led back into the dark maze, trying not to show how eager he was for an answer. Finally he heard a sigh. "You have a point I suppose… But we'll play it my way. _ In the dark!"_


End file.
